Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-01-21
The Haunted Chamber.
BY THE DUCHESS
Concluded.l

has taken place. and their suspicion.
Ethel. though paIing be.eath the hor-
ror and surprise occasioned by the re-
cital, docs not lose her self-possession.
Il will go with you," she volunteers.
3But, let me say" she adds, Il think
you are wrong in making this search
without man. Tiff indeed we are
still in time to be of any use to poor
Sir Adrian-always supposing he really
is secreted in that terrible roOm-I do
not think any of us would be strong
enough to help him down the stairs,
and, if he has been slowly starving all
this time, think how weak he will bel"
"Oh, what "a wretched picture you
conjure up!" exclaims Florence, nerv-
ously clasping her hands. But you
are right, and now tell me who you
think can best be depended upon in
this crisis"
Il am sure" says Ethel, blushing
slightly, but speaking with intense
earnestness, that, if you would not
mind trusting Captain Ringwood, he
would be both safe and useful"
As this suggestion meets with APP
proval, they manage to convey a mes
sage to the captain, and in very few
minutes he is with them, and is made
acquainted with their hopes and fears.
Silently, cautiously, without any
light, but carrying two small lamps
ready for ignition. they go down to the
corridor where is the door that leads to
the secret staircase.
Turning the handle of this door,
Captain Ringwood discovers that it is
locked, but, nothing daunted he pulls
it so violently backward and forward
that the lock, rusty with age, gives way
and leaves the passage beyond open to
them.
Gntr,, into tbn pp,au IanI;no n tba
foot of the staircase. they close the
door carefully after them, and then,
captain Ringw0od producing some
matches, they light the two lamps and
go swiftly, with anXiously beating
hearts, up the stairs.
The second door is reached, and now
nothing remains but to mount the last
flight Of steps and open the fatal door.
Their hearts at this trying moment
almost fail them. They look into one
anothcr's blanched faces, and look
there in vain for hope. At last, Ring
wood, touching Ethel's arm, says, in
whisper
Come, have courage-all may yet be
WELT"
He moves toward the stone steps,
and they follow him. Quickly mount
ing them, he lays his hand upon the
door, and afraid to give them any
more time for reflection or dread Of
what may yet be i'll store for them,
throws it open.
1T first the feeble light from their
lamps fails To penetrate the darkness
Of the gloomy apartment. At the cur
sorry glance, such us they ut first cast
round the room it appears TO be empty.
Their hearts sink within them. Have
they indeed hoped in vainl
Dora IS crying bitterly; Ethel, with
her eyes fixed upon Ringwood, is read
ing her own disappointment in his face,
when suddenly piercing cry from
Florence wakes the echoes round them.
She has darted forward, and is kneel-
ing over something that even now is
barely disccrnible to the others as they
come nearer to it. 1t looks like "A bun
die of clothes, but, as they stoOp over
1t, they, too, can see that it is III real-
ty Il human body, and apparently rigid
in death.
But the Shrek that has sprung from
the very soul of Florence has reached
some still living iibers in the brain of
this fOrlOrn creature. Slowly and with
difficulty he raises his head, and opens
pair of fast-glazing eyes. Mechanic
ally his glance falls upon Florence.
His lips move; a melancholy smile
struggles to show itself upon his parch-
ed and bIaCkened lips.
Florence" he rather signs than says,
and falls back, to all appearance, dead.
He is not dead" cries Florence pas
sionateIy, "Ile can not be! Oh, save
him, save him! Adrian, look up
speak To me. Oh, Adrian, make some
sign that you can hear mel"
But he makes no sign. His very
breath seems to have left him. Gath
ering him teuderly in her arms, Flor
IA
against her bosom, and pushes back
the hair from his forehead. He is so
completely altered, SO thorough
wreck has he become. that il is indeed
only the eyes OF love that could recog-
nl2e him. His cheeks have fallen in,
and deep holows show themselves.
Ills beard has grown, and is now
rough and stubbly; his hair is UNI
comhed, the lines of want, despair, and
cruel starvation have blotted out all
the old fairness of his features. His
clothes are hanging loosely about him;
his hands, limp and nerveless, are ly-
ing 10y his side. Who shall tell what
agony he has suffered during these past
lonely days with death-an awful,
creeping, gnawing death staring him
i'll the faCcp
A deadly silence has fallen upon the
little group now gazing solemnly down
upon his quiet form. Florence, hold
ing him closely To her heart, is gently
rocking him To and fro, as though she
Will not he diSSuaded that he still lives.
At length Captain Ringwood, stoop-
ing pitifully over her, looSens her hold
SO far as TO enable him to lay his hand
upon Sir ABRAMS heart. After mo-
ment. during which they all watch him
closely, he starts, and, looking still
closer into the face that Il second ago
he believed dead, he says, with sub
dued but deep excitement
There may yet be timel He breathes
his heart beatsl Who will help me to
carry him out Of this dungeOn?"
tie shoulders as he glanceS round him.
Il will" replies Florence calmly.
These words of hope have Steadied
her and hraced her nerves. Ether and
Mrs. Talbot, carrying the lamps, go on
before, while Ringwood and Florence,
having lifted the SCnSeless body of Adj
rian, now indeed sufficiently light to be
an easy burden, follow them.
Reaching the corridor, they cross it
hurrledly, and carrying Adrian up
back staircase that leads to Captain
Rlngwood's room Ivy Il circuitous route,
they gain it without encountering a
single soul, and lay him gently down
on Riugwood'S bed, almost Mt the very
moment that midnight chimes from
the old tower, and only 4 few minutes
before Arthur Dynccourt steals from
his chamber To make that last visit to
his supposed victim.
CHAPTER. MI.
Slowly and with difficulty they coax
Sir Adrian back to life Ringwood had
insisted upon telling the old house
Keeper 1t the castle, who has been in
the family for years, the whole story of
her masters rescue, and she, with tears
dropping down her withered cheeks,
has helped Ringwood to remove his
clothes and make him comfortable.
She had also sat beside him while the
captain, stealing out of the house like
= ssatet, had galloped down to the viii
lage for the doctor, whom he had
smuggled into the house without awak-
ing any of the servants.
This caution and secrecy had been
decided upon for one powerful reason.
Ii Arthur Dynecourt should prove
guilty of being the author of his cous-
ms Incarceration, they were quite de-
termned he should not escape what
ever punishment the law allowed. But
the mystery could not be quite cleared
up until Sir Adrian's return to con-
seiousneSs when they hoped to have
some light thrown upon the matter
from his own lips.
In the meantime. should Arthur hear
of his Cousins rescue. and know him.
xplf IN M puilry nf fhis I1Storflx-